One of the most frustrating things for a local historian to come across is a really old photograph, sometimes in sepia, frayed at the edges and capturing people in an important moment in history, only to discover no one knows who the people are in the photo.
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Similarly, trying to identify who took the photograph is sometimes just about impossible.
Authors of local history books have their names recorded for eternity, but not so those who are behind the camera.
So, who was responsible for taking some of those great photos in Leeton's early history?
No one will ever be able to say categorically who it was, but there is a chance it may have been Arthur Vincent Wilkinson.
Arthur was born in Ledbury, Herefordshire, England on June 28, 1871, the first born to William Thompson Wilkinson and Mary Rebecca Bosworth.
He married Mary Rachel Hilton (known as Rachel), but there is some confusion whether this occurred prior to moving to Australia or in Australia itself.
In any event, they were together in Sydney in 1903 where Arthur obtained work as a photographer, and even had his own dark room.
He gained employment as a photographer with the Town and Country Journal, and later with the Sydney Morning Herald, where it is suggested, but not confirmed, that he developed their first colour photograph.
Then, in 1913 Arthur and Rachel, now fully entrenched in the land of opportunity, decided to move out of Sydney and take advantage of the opportunities being afforded in the new irrigation area.
A 30-acre orchard was never going to be a huge money spinner for the couple, but Arthur was able to supplement his income with his professional photography.
Early editions of the Murrumbidgee Irrigator advertised his services and it can only be wondered how any of the area's early settlers were photographed by him.
Just over a year after Arthur and Rachel had made Leeton their home, World War I broke out, commencing on July 28, 1914.
Two years later, on July 14, 1916, at the age of almost 45 years, the five-foot six inch, 10-stone Arthur, made his way to Cootamundra to enlist with the Imperial Forces, leaving Rachel and their three young children behind to tend to their farm.
Arthur served with the 14th Battalion earning himself the British War Medal, the Star Medal and the Victory Medal.
His age however, caught up with him and, in March 1918, just eight months before the end of the war, he was discharged, with his service record noting that "age unfitting him to stand winter and active service conditions. Has had pain in legs and shoulders all the time in the cold weather".
While Arthur's actions could be considered meritorious, particularly at his age and stage of life, then perhaps too, Rachel's resilience and stoicism should also be acknowledged.
At the age of 41 and with three young children, she somehow managed to keep the farm running by growing vegetables between the fruit trees and by running a few cows and pigs.
They were certainly a tough breed of people in that generation.
Arthur and Rachel spent the rest of their lives in the Leeton shire eventually retiring from the farm and selling it to their nephew.
They lived in Yanco and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1945 and then their last one together, their 59th in June, 1954 just five months before Arthur passed away in Leeton Hospital after suffering from an illness.
He left behind his beloved Rachel, who would die a year later, and their three children Arthur Hilton, Daphne May and Vera Marjorie.
It is very difficult to accredit Arthur with any known photographs. However, it is believed he took photographs of the opening of the Leeton Catholic Church, a farewell to a Mr J B Broatch, a Methodist Church picnic at the Murrumbidgee River, and it is believed some of his works appeared on the front cover of local publications.
He is also credited to having taken the photograph "Accommodation House", which is featured in the book - A Brief History of Leeton complied by A E Bowmaker, but this cannot be confirmed.
So, if you have any photos lying around at home, and you want to assist future generations, why don't you write down on the back of the photo in pencil, what/who the photo is of and who the photographer was.
Acknowledgements
- A Brief History of Leeton - A.E.Bowmaker
- Leeton Family and Local History Society Incorporated
- Murrumbidgee Irrigator
- Trove
- Ancestry - Crawley Family Tree
